Living the Mission at SUA

Saint Ursula Academy 1339 E. McMillan

Cincinnati, OH 45206513-961-3410

www.saintursula.org

Living the MissionLiving the Mission

St. Ursula Academy is a nurturing Catholic educational community that unleashes the potential of each student to become a woman of faith, integrity and courage committed to building a better world.

St. Ursula Academy’s identity rests upon the spirit and wisdom of St. Angela Merici, the foundress of the Ursuline Sisters. This visionary woman of the sixteenth century lived in a time not unlike our own. Earth-shaking changes were occurring in society causing unrest and the need for reform in the Church and in the secular world. In the midst of it all, St. Angela had the courage to forge a new path for women. She began a religious community of women who lived in the world, not within the confines of a cloister. These Catholic women were known for their lives of spirituality and service. Despite the more than 450 years that separate St. Angela from St. Ursula Academy in the twenty-first century, her teachings and words continue to inspire our endeavors. Her values have withstood the test of time and are as significant today as they were in the sixteenth century.

Whether our role at St. Ursula Academy is as faculty or staff, each of us is charged with the duty to make the spirit of St. Angela Merici come alive each day at 1339 East McMillan Street. This document acts as a practical guideline of how we continue the evolution of Angela’s vision. Ours is an awesome responsibility, and in undertaking it, we are fortified by the words of St. Angela herself.

Among the many things, which, by God’s grace you have to do, I ask you to try to put these few counsels into practice, which I leave to you now to carry out after I am gone. For understand this, I am more alive than when I was on this earth, and I see better and hold dear all the good works that I see you constantly performing. Act, bestir yourselves, have faith, make efforts, have hope, cry aloud to him with all your heart; then without any doubt, you will see marvels. (Introduction to the Counsels)

Ours is a school community blessed with diverse gifts. We celebrate and support each other’s talents as we live the mission, developing our students into curious, open-minded, confident and creative learners who value what is true, right and just.

Because Jesus Christ calls us to action we

Intertwined with the spirit and essence of Catholic education in the United States is a commitment to academic excellence. As a Catholic, Ursuline school we

Support and take an active part in Campus Ministry • programs and activitiesSupport students in prayer at the beginning of class, • meetings and sporting eventsAttend student-led prayer services• Promote and model active participation in Mass, including • holding hands and singing hymnsParticipate enthusiastically in Spiritual Journey activities• Attend Kairos closings• Cultivate lives enriched in the service of faith and the • promotion of justiceShare our own faith stories, when appropriate.•

Inspire each student to levels of achievement higher than • she thinks possibleDemand independent thinking and academic integrity• Hold students to high standards of academic excellence• Assign appropriate work which supports an ambitious and • excellent academic program and develops the whole personRecognize that academic excellence for some students may • not result in an A, and help the student also to recognize thisHelp students learn from their mistakes, handle failure, and • remain motivated in the face of challengesRegularly and sincerely say something positive and true to • each studentReach out proactively to a student or her parent when she is • struggling.

Our Christ-Centered Spirit Inspires Us

We Inspire Students to Achieve Academic Excellence

St. Angela reminds us to think of ourselves as servants and helpers with greater need of serving than of being served, so we

In her Last Counsel St. Angela exhorts us to “be bound one to the other by the bond of charity, respecting each other, helping each other and bearing with each other.” Therefore we

Familiarize ourselves with the service programs in which students • participateAsk students about their community service experiences and • encourage them to make service a prioritySeek ways to incorporate service learning into our curriculum• Chaperone or moderate a service event or mission trip• Participate in service events and attend school-wide assemblies• Develop an understanding of Catholic Social Teaching and • how it links to St. Ursula’s mission and community service activitiesSupport school-wide initiatives such as mission collection, canned • food drive, personal care drive, and justice advocacy.

Create a curriculum that is inclusive and challenges students • to learn about multiculturalismChallenge ourselves to grow even more culturally aware• Consult with the Director of Diversity when concerns arise • regarding individual student needs or diversity issuesInvite the Director of Diversity into our classroom to provide • divergent viewpointsParticipate in diversity and multicultural outreach opportunities• Assist in efforts to recruit minority students• Provide a classroom environment that reflects diverse economic, • cultural, religious, and ethnic perspectivesEncourage participation of all students in our classroom activities• Embrace the educational diversity and unique perspectives • that ES students bring to our classrooms.

We Commit Ourselves to Lives of Christian Service

We Celebrate Difference and Diversity

Saint Angela, the foundress of the Ursuline Order, who in 1535 opened up for women a way of life which broke with prevailing societal conventions, urges us to

St. Angela counseled her followers to know and understand the behavior of their daughters in order to best provide for them. Following her example we

Be positive role models for each student• Identify each student’s strengths and challenge her to perform • to the best of her abilityEncourage each student’s voice and listen with openness to her• Engage in conversations that promote self esteem and self • awarenessPromote leadership opportunities for students• Look beyond stereotypical roles and images of women• Identify and teach about women who have made contributions • to academic fields and the local and global communityProvide opportunities for students to bring their lives into the • classroomSupport students in their co-curricular activities by attending • events, asking about outcomes, celebrating achievements and sharing disappointments.

Participate in and support Guidance programming throughout • the yearMaintain open communication with students, students’ • counselors, and parents to better support student needsDevelop creative and challenging assignments that further • student learning and promote a rich personal lifeRealize that students are dealing with life issues and • circumstances which may affect their classroom performanceModerate, support and promote co-curricular activities• Guide each student to a realistic and accurate perception of • herself, and then help her to reach her highest potentialSupport flexibility in daily schedules and class interruptions that • promote the needs of the individualFacilitate an Advisory which fosters reflective engagement • and leadership.

We Affirm the Dignity and Gifts of Women

We Develop the Whole Person

Because St. Angela teaches us, “Look upon each student as your daughter and treat her as if she is family,” we

We know that we must “carry out all things faithfully” with the Holy Spirit guiding us. If we do this, we have cause to “rejoice and keep up our good resolve, for a great reward” awaits us. We

St. Angela encourages us to “have each and every student deeply fixed in our hearts,” therefore we

Participate in the life of the school, including spiritual journey • activities, liturgies, Kairos closings, Academy Alum activities, service opportunities, group and one-on-one advisory opportunities, Student Life initiatives, student bonding activities, and public prayerCommunicate frequently with parents through conferences, • phone calls and electronic mediaTake part in pep rallies, assemblies and other gatherings• Cultivate unity and care in the Advisory program.• Make it obvious to students and parents and colleagues that • we enjoy working with them.

Welcome every person who comes to our door• Embrace change• Look upon coming to school each day as an opportunity to grow• Love our jobs and act accordingly.•

Attend events in order to see students where they feel • competent and successful beyond the classroomDiscover and show we appreciate the value that each • student brings to our classroomsVary our educational techniques so that we reach all learners• Discover a strength for each weakness we find in a student• Know each student’s name• Congratulate students for successes in and beyond the classroom• Cultivate compassionate teacher-student and colleague-• colleague relationships.

We Build Family Spirit in Our School

Optimism and Openness Guide Our Daily Lives

We Value the Uniqueness and Gifts of Each Person